A Supreme Court of Victoria hearing due to determine which materials can stay legally privileged ahead of the trial over the Luke Sayers "explicit photo" scandal has been adjourned until next Friday, delaying a key step in one of the most closely watched civil cases expected in Australia next year. The former Carlton president and PwC chief has spent over a year trying to keep AFL investigation material secret, and it remains unclear who requested the postponement or whether both parties agreed to it, with speculation that Sayers may currently be overseas rather than in Australia.

The dispute stems from a photograph of a penis posted from Sayers' social media account on 8 January last year, tagging a female Bupa executive; Sayers has denied responsibility. His estranged wife, Cate Sayers, has launched defamation proceedings against him, alleging he falsely implicated her in the post and that the AFL colluded with him and Carlton to clear his name, also claiming breach of confidence and invasion of privacy. Conflicting reports this week suggested either an ongoing impasse or a possible settlement involving an apology, though no resolution has materialised, and Sayers previously lost a bid to move the case to the Family Court after a judge ruled it should proceed publicly in the Supreme Court.